Iran Kiwi Exports From Northern Province Quadruple
EghtesadOnline: Iran's northern Mazandaran Province has exported 90,000 tons of kiwis worth $90 million in the current Iranian year (started March 21), registering a staggering 300% growth year-on-year, an official with Mazandaran Agricultural Jihad Organization said on Dec. 27.
According to Soleyman Hatamnejad, the depreciation of rial in recent months has given a boost to kiwi exports, IRNA reported.
He noted that farmers in Mazandaran, as the country’s biggest kiwi production province, harvested 180,000 tons of kiwis this year and about 50% of the province’s kiwi output were exported.
“This is while last year, $30 million worth of kiwis were exported from Mazandaran, which made up 10% of the province’s non-oil exports,” Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.
Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries were the main customers of Mazandaran kiwis.
According to Hatamnejad, 15-20 tons of kiwis are harvested per hectare of kiwi farms in Mazandaran and Iran is the world’s fourth biggest kiwi producer.
Mazandaran Province, situated along the Caspian Sea coastline, is also a major producer of citrus fruit in Iran.
Iran is home to about 8,000 hectares of kiwi farms, around 6,500 hectares of which are located in Mazandaran.
Around 222,000 tons of kiwis are harvested in Iran annually.